An Orphaned Host
by Random0Fandom
Summary: A redo of the story, Of Ghosts and Hosts. 'T' rating is for safety reasons, PTSD and some violence, but the first will be talked about later, as well as depression.
1. Chapter 1

After the dust settled, and the smoke cleared, the hero collapsed on the ground, exhausted and physically destroyed. The explosion had happened, he was right all along. He couldn't protect them, but now it was a painful truth. No bodies were left, barely anything from the victims were left, except for one thing.

A spiked bracelet, left by a girl of purple eyes, which now sat beside the teen hero.

All around, the townspeople came out from their homes to check what had happened, but when they saw the scene, it was mixed reactions. Some looked in horror at the sight, seeing the first real death in the town. Those who had hated the hero looked in sorrow and regret, feeling terrible for trying to make him look bad.

However, when the young hero still later upon the ground, he couldn't feel anything. Not the stares from the people, but the smoke and fire nearly a foot next to him, not even his faint heartbeat. All in all, he felt numb. Empty. Hollow. But what he felt most of all: Useless. Someone who was fast enough could've stopped the bomb, yet he didn't. Someone who was strong enough would have defeated the evil person sooner, yet he couldn't.

He had...was...lost.

However from the shadows, came more ghosts. All of them, old enemies and friends, and even neutrals, came out of the woodwork. The residents looked in worry, some running away, but none of the ghosts attacked. None charged. None even held a fist. They just stood there, and, for the first time for many of them, felt regret for their actions.

Then came forward the mayor of the city, not fearing the ghosts in anyway, shocking the civilians. In fact, they parted ways for him to walk, and he didn't stop till he was beside the hero. Once he saw the emptiness in his eyes, he saw that he finally hit the breaking point. Nothing else mattered, for he had nothing to go from. He lost he family, his friends, and his teacher. Nothing else could give him that spark again.

Feeling like the worst Uncle/Godfather, the mayor gently bent down and picked up the broken hero, as well as the spiked bracelet. Holding him close to the chest, he walked out, the ghosts parting ways for the duo, and he walked far to his mansion. The residents looked in horror, but then looked down in shame at the sight. When they arrived at the mansion, the ghosts who had came now created a perimeter for the pair, not letting anyone, dead or alive, inside.

Inside the place, the older man looked in despair at the teen, who had changed forms inside. His snow white hair changed to a raven black, his spandex shifted to a shirt and jeans, and his eyes morphed from a broken green, to a hollow blue. He laid on the couch, not moving, not shifting his gaze from the ceiling at all.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Little Badger," the mayor tried to plead, seeing that his smug attitude could wait. The teen didn't reply, not moving and barely breathing. The mayor knew that the teen couldn't stay here, not if he wanted to get better, so he did what he should've done. With a sad glance, the mayor walked to the phone and dialed it.

After a few rings, the voice on the other picked up. "Fujioka residents." A man's voice, but was slightly higher than most, answered.

"Hey Ranka," the mayor took a breath, feeling the weight on his heart and core finally catch him. "it's...it's Vlad. Vlad Masters."

A small gasp came from the other end, "V-Vlad? W-What's wrong?" Now the other man had a slightly shaky voice, feeling the emotions from his older cousin.

"..." Vlad took a pause, not knowing how to proceed. After collecting his thoughts, he finally gained enough nerves to do it. "It's...Your sister, M-Maddie."

Another gasp came from the other end, but the man stayed silent. The silence was starting to kill Vlad, both the silence from the younger halfa and now Maddie's brother, who moved to Japan when he could. He did eventually speak again, but it was in broken sentences, so Vlad helped him and explain that she, her husband, and their daughter had just perished in an explosion in town. A tear rolled down Vlad's cheek, feeling the years of obsession and near stalking finally get to him and pull him down.

"T-There's something else..." Vlad said after some time, turning and glancing to the teen, who was still lying on the couch with the same empty look. "One of the F-Fentons survived...M-Maddie's son, Daniel."

"What a-are we going to do?" Ranka sniffled, due to crying a ton on the other end of the phone.

After a long pause, and much reflection on Vlad's end, Vlad did have a solution. "He can't stay in Amity, or America in my opinion. It would never help him, which is why-"

"Yes." Ranka cut the older man off, already knowing what he would ask. Vlad let out a sigh of relief, feeling a small amount of hope rise for Daniel in his old heart. "When can you get him here?"

**"I'll send my private jet," Vlad said, slowly filling with determination to help the last reminder of both the woman he loved, and the son who never backed down from it. In a way, it gave the teen a load of respect from Vlad, but he was never good at showing it to him. "He'll be there in three days." They talked some more, hashing out details, before the line went dead.**

* * *

Thousands of miles away, a man held the phone tightly. Tears swelled into his eyes, making the remnants of makeup on his face run down his cheeks. With a shaky hand, he put the phone back in the receiver, and felt his heart eating at him.

His own sister...gone…

His own memories of the redhead sister flashed in his eyes, always there to protect and help him when he needed it. In school, she tutored him when he needed help and was always there to congratulate him whenever something good happened to him. Her laugh would brings sparks into his heart on his saddest days, and her smile warmed even the coldest of moods.

Yet it was when they grew up that they began to drift. Being the smarter one, Maddie went into science and discovered her true passions there. That lead her to college in America, which she won at an international science fair in Japan. For a time they kept in contact with letters and phone calls, but time hits hard especially combined with distance. The calls became shorter, the letters became rarer, until both were nonexistent, the only thing telling them that the other was alive was the wedding invitations. However, circumstances with work and money on both sides made it impossible for either to attend the other.

But the memories never faded from him, and he remembered her fiery mind, only matched by her caring nature. Now they're only pictures in his head though, and they were hitting his heart hard.

Standing in his kitchen, Ranka was bent over the counter, his arms barely holding him up as he sniffled. Oblivious to the outside world, he failed to hear the floor creaking from pressure and the soft pattering of feet. It wasn't until he heard a voice did he come back to Earth, and he turned to see his own daughter standing in a night dress, looking at her father with worry in her eyes.

"Dad," her voice, soft, had a small tinge of worry. Slowly, she walked around the apartment till she stood beside him. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Choking back a sob, Ranka turned to his daughter and sighed. "I know I never told you this, Haruhi, but I had a sister growing up." That statement had his daughter, Haruhi, surprised, having never heard of this before. Ranka smiled, though it was filled with grief and exhaustion, but stared at nothing in particular. "I never told you, since we grew apart in our passions. She was...the brightest person I ever knew, and also the most caring one. Years ago, she went to America for schooling and we fell out of contact." Ranka paused, wiping a tear away from his eyes, before turning fully to his daughter. "Until a few minutes ago."

It took a minute to collect himself, but Ranka managed (with the help of Haruhi) to move to the couch, sagging into the cushion. Haruhi watched her father with confusion and genuine worry seeping into her heart. Normally, on any given day, her father was emotional and eccentric, often times giving her a migraine. Yet she knew that he loved her, and that he cared about her a great deal ever since her mother. So she always smiled internally whenever he was crazy to her, even if she showed more annoyance than love. However, seeing the man broken down and fighting back tears of grief, it broke her heart to see such an ebullient man become a shell.

"Dad?"

"I got a call from a friend, the mayor of the town they lived in," Ranka looked at his daughter, and her eyes widened. Seeing the hollow look in them was an eye opener for her, and it made her heart shake a little. "He went to college with her and her husband, and worked with them. But...something just happened. She-" Ranka sniffled again, fighting back tears, "She died." Ranka then broke down in tears, not able to hold it back anymore.

Haruhi instantly held her father close, his head shaking in her shoulder as she ran a hand up his arms. She hadn't seen him this heartbroken for years, and it brought back some memories of her own of him. They sat like this, quiet sobs from the grieving man and the soft words of his caring daughter.

Clearing up his eyes, he sighed as he looked at the floor, hand gripping one of Haruhi's. She watched him, and saw a flash in his eyes, "What else is there?"

Ranka paused, clearing his throat before replying. "T-The entire family died...and the only survivor was her son…"

'An orphan' Haruhi felt her heart clench. She might not have been one, but she could sympathize, in a way, about losing family. "What's going to happen to him."

"Vlad, the m-mayor, thought it best to...get him out of the States." There was a long pause, and it took a moment for Haruhi to understand it. When she did, her eyebrows creased as she thought about it.

"When will he be here?"

"Three days." Haruhi sighed. 'Not much time to prepare.' She might've been tired, but she knew better. Seeing her father speak highly of his sister, if she would've protested he most likely would've said 'She would've done the same if it happened to me and you'. So she nodded and helped her grieving father to bed, watching as he just about fell asleep as soon as he was covered.

After that, she went to her room and sat on the bed, thinking over the last hour. She rubbed her forehead, feeling exhaustion take over as she looked at her alarm. It was too late for descent sleep, and it made her yawn.

**'I hope the hosts go easy tomorrow'.**

* * *

Although it was only three days, it felt like an eternity to the raven who sat on the plane, still as a board. For three days, he hadn't said anything, nor eaten anything, nor slept a wink, nor stood straight. Three days of hunched over, empty and hollow, the shell of the halfa he used to be. Across the aisle, not seeing or noticing it, Vlad sat with a newspaper, but that was only a mask.

For the entirety of the 7 hours they've been on the plane, he watched his nephew with baited breath. Any response, any emotion would be an improvement, and he had longed for the boy who defied him. It was that fire that battled the older man's obsession that drew out his admiration, but it was snuffed out within moments. The newspaper was barely legible to him, all his focus diverted to the teen sitting mere feet from him. Seeing the dejected, empty and emotionless teen, he internally sighed.

'Where is the fighter' he thought, now looking at the paper. 'The one who fought till his last breath, the one that fought till his bones broke. The spirit that ruined all my plans with a smile on his face, the one who made me think twice about my power. At every turn, he fought tooth and nail to stop me. I would give my entire array of powers just to see him show any emotion'. With a huff, though a tired one from the elder man, he folded the paper and placed it on his lap. It took him this long to think of something to say, and it took all his experience in politics and speeches to think of the right words.

Sighing he turned to face Danny, who was still hunched over and hadn't moved, and took a deep breath. "Daniel...I have spent the majority of my life talking to people, with the right words to say just about every time...Yet now, I find myself at a loss of even the simplest of words to say." Vlad watched the young boy, hoping for any response, but got no reaction for it. Danny just kept staring at the seat in front of him. "Where is the boy I knew who would thwart all my plans...would annoy and defeat me at every turn ...the spirit that defied me around every bend and every turn?" A split second, but Vlad saw it. Danny's shoulders tensed, a mere nano second, but the elder man saw it. Internally he smiled. He was making progress. "I cannot speak for heroes, for reasons that are obvious, but I speak for someone who had a...setback many years ago. They hurt, yes, and they are not meant to be pushed aside and forgotten, but all we can do is push on from there. Tell me, Daniel, do you know why we fall?" He let the question hang for a couple of seconds, seeing confliction in Danny's eyes, before risking something.

He placed his hand on Danny's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "It's so we can learn to pick ourselves up." With that Vlad went back to his seat, now being able to focus on the newspaper he had.

Danny, for the first time in three days, realized where he was. With a deep breath, he sank into the seat and slept for the first time in days. To his left, Vlad smiled and enjoyed the peace.

* * *

Most people would think that cleaning was a chore and a hassle. Unlike most, Haruhi quite enjoyed it, but for a different reason. In her apartment, it was for two reasons. One was that it gave her something to do, for she was someone that rather disliked too much down time. She was a woman that was active and bordering on workaholic, and she couldn't sit there and do nothing. That was not her, and she got that from her mother, which Ranka told her with a smile.

The other was that it gave her time to unwind, to collect her thoughts, and to calm down from the lunacy at the school she went to. With the craziness if rich people, the girls at the club, and Tamaki (who had a picture right next to the word 'lunatic' in the dictionary); she needed time to calm herself and regain what sanity she had.

Sighing, she was cleaning the coffee table they had, humming to herself a little tune she remembered. Not known to anyone but her father, she actually had a nice singing voice, which her father reminded her whenever he caught her singing. Though she always rolled her eyes, internally she would blush and go back to doing whatever she was doing. God help her if the hosts ever find out, it would be a nightmare. Kyoya would find out how to make money off it, the twins would bother her nonstop, and Tamaki...she shuddered at the thought.

Back to cleaning. Haruhi had just finished the coffee table, wiping her hands from the soap, when a knock came from the door. Confused, she looked at the clock and frowned. It wasn't her father, it was both too early and he had a key with him. Walking to the door, she tried to think of what was behind the door, but couldn't figure it out. Twisting the knob, she pulled the door to reveal two people, and her confusion deepened

One of them, an older man, had a slight air of upstanding, something she picked up from dealing with rich people daily. This man was rich, and his clothes showed it. A black suit, cleaned and shining in the sun, with a red bow tie and matching handkerchief. His eyes had the look of experience, in what she didn't know, but they held wisdom in them as well as power. Grey hair, but not a dull grey, tied in a ponytail. The man stood in an impeccable stature.

Next to him, Haruhi gasped at what she saw. A teen, some years older than her, hunched over slightly with a duffle bag in one of his hands. Compared to the man, he was foil to him. Shorter, raven black hair, blue eyes, simpler clothing but had the same eye color. Yet his eyes were different; they had experience and power in them, just as much as the older man, but were also filled with deep despair and grief. His clothes consisted of a white t-shirt, red trim with some red design on the front, simple blue jeans and red shoes.

Startled, Haruhi collected herself and looked at the older man. "Can I help you two?"

The older man studied the girl in front of him, for a moment, before smiling and bowing his head. "Why yes, my dear, you can. I was wondering if this is the Fujioka residence?"

"Yes it is, sir."

"Splendid." He clapped his hands, smiling a little brighter. "Then I am to assume you are the wonderful Haruhi your father told me about?"

She perked up at this, relaxing at the stranger and smiling back. "Yes I am, can I ask who you two are?"

Vlad bowed, "I am Vladamir Masters, mayor of Amity Park in America, and this," Vlad gestured to the teen next to him, who still looked a little grief stricken. As such, Vlad's smile turned sad, and his eyes filled with pain and regret. "Is my...nephew Daniel Fenton."

"H-Hi."

It finally clicked in Haruhi's head, and it all made sense. This was her dad's friend from America, the one that called three days ago, which made the teen the...Her eyes widened, but she bowed back to the pair. "It is nice to meet you. Please, come in." Vlad smiled and, with a gentle push for Danny, the pair entered the apartment, taking off their shoes as they walked in. The duffle bag was placed next to the couch, and the pair took seats at the couch, and their differences showed even more. Vlad sat straight, hands in his lap and one leg on the other. Danny, however, looked defeated in his posture. Hunched over, ankles crossed, arms hugging his sides and head looking down.

"Do you know when your father will return, miss?" Vlad asked, glancing every now and then at Danny, checking him.

"Please, call me Haruhi," she said, before looking at the clock. "Not for some time I think, he doesn't get out till-"

Suddenly the door opened, and behind it was a disheveled woman who was breathing deeply. Composing herself, she looked at the occupants, before seeing Vlad and Danny. "Vlad?"

Vlad stared at the woman, before hearing the voice, and his own eyes widened. "Ranka is that you?" There was a little disbelief in his voice, before he looked over the man's outfit. "Your earrings are slipping."

"Vlad." His voice was tired. Both of the older men had pain in their eyes, yet now they showed the years they put in this world as well. "My boss let me out early...have you been here long?"

"Not at all, Ranka." Vlad stood up, and helped the other man to a chair. Haruhi, who had been watching silently, made everyone a set of tea and they ended up sitting around their table. It was a tense silence, since the topic was so heavy, but someone had to start.

"So...how have you been Daniel?" Ranka asked, putting on a brave face (with makeup on as well).

Danny looked up and, upon seeing all eyes on him, rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I've b-been alright." A little stutter and shake in his voice, and no ability to even force a smile on it.

Ranka nodded, trying to get a lay for the child, even if he was older than his daughter. He looked a bit pale, but so did Vlad, and he looked lean, yet not skinny. Actually if he looked closer, he swore he saw muscles in the loose shirt and on his arms from where the sleeves cut off. A plan was forming in his head, but he didn't speak about it.

"I know you probably never heard about me before...this." Ranka began, taking a sip of tea. "But I did grow up with your mother here, and she was the best sister I ever had." Danny's heart clenched, hearing the word 'sister' brought back flashes of Jazz, and it made his hands tremble. "One thing I do remember was her fudge...even before she left it was amazing to see her cook her specialty. Sometimes I think that if she didn't go into Science she might've opened a bakery." He chuckled to himself, though it was humorless, and looked straight at Danny. Said boy was staring at his tea, nodded but not really hearing him. So, he tried a different move.

"I know this is a hard time you have been forced into, but it's one you are not the only victim of." Danny's eyes harden, wanting to refute, but stayed silent. Ranka only sighed. "You see, Haruhi didn't just come out of nowhere...I once had a wife." The man sighed, putting his tea down while Danny's angered stare softened. Ranka now adopted Danny's grieving look, and the teen filled with a little regret. "She was...much like Maddie was. Bold, stubborn, but determined and smarter than anyone I ever knew. The only real difference was that Maddie went into science, whilst Kotoko was a lawyer with a backbone. Even though I was six years younger, she said she found me cute and fell in love instantly."

A tear had spilled from Ranka, and all of Danny's anger vanished as he filled with more regret. He had judged this as an empty comparison, but it was true. Sighing, Danny looked up at the man.

"I'm sorry, sir." Danny began, wiping a stray tear from him as well. "I just feel...alone, and seeing my family and friends...it's been hard to keep calm."

"Indeed it is, Daniel." Vlad said, standing up and fixing his suit. He gave a smile, though sympathetic when he saw Danny, and turned to the door. "Now I know we've just arrived, but I'm afraid that I am still a mayor. I can't stay away for too long, or the towns liable to…" the joke died on his lips when he saw Danny's face, remembering what just happened. Clearing his throat, he said goodbye to the Fujioka's, wishing them luck, then turned to Danny.

To his eternal surprise, Danny stood up, walked over to him, and wrapped his arms around him. The older halfa was stunned at the action, but feeling his suit get a little wet, he wrapped his arms right back and held him close. "Goodbye...Little Badger," and for once, Danny didn't correct him.

Reluctantly, they separated and Vlad threw one last smile to the group, and headed out the door, one last farewell flying in the air as he disappeared behind the door. The trio inside stood, a moment or two, before Haruhi started to clean up. Ranka stood back, and was surprised to see Danny head back to them and pick up his cup and walked over to the sink.

"That's alright-"

"You may have taken me in," Danny cut off Haruhi, turning to her with a sad smile. "But I'm no bum. I'm someone who hates idling, and helps anyone I see."

Haruhi paused, before a smile graced her lips and the duo started to clean up. Usually she would protest the help saying she could do it herself, but one look in those eyes told her otherwise. A skill she prided herself on was a judge of character in the eyes, and Danny's told her something. When he said 'helps anyone' they held firm, meaning he spoke the truth. For that, she smiled and took the extra help she usually denied. In the background, Ranka watched with hope in his eyes as daughter and his nephew worked together. In his eyes, it was a good sign for the future, he just hoped that they worked together.

And that those boys don't push Danny when they meet him.


	2. Chapter 2

Fridays were a good day for Haruhi, and the reasons were quite obvious. Friday meant the end of the school week, and the start of the weekend. Now she didn't rest or take time off from it, that's not who she was, but she would enjoy her peace with the craziness of rich people. No school meant the hosts wouldn't bother her, and she still had a headache from the twin's fake fight earlier in the week. Only they would fake a fight for days just to be invited to her house.

It also gave her time to think ahead, and usually it was the same spiel. Do good in school, get into a law school, become a lawyer and follow her role model; her mother. However the only thing on her mind was their new roommate, and apparently a cousin to her.

Danny.

When he arrived yesterday, he was a mystery to her, and remains one. He clearly was hurting, but something else was in his eyes, which was odd. Hurt, but also a resolve, and that put her on edge. Creating a resolve based off grief and hurt was a dangerous, and often life threatening decision. She almost did it, but her father was there to stop her, but who did Danny have?

He has you, a part of her brain said, and it was right. He might help anyone, but it was his turn to be helped.

Stepping out of her room, she made sure to be quiet as to not wake in, being on a couch would drain the life out of anyone, and his was barely there. Although she was expecting a quiet apartment, a soft noise was actually heard. Confused, she looked to her father's door, only to see it close and hear a soft snore behind it. Quietly, she crept down the short hall to the main room, and held a soft gasp at what she saw.

Against her predictions, Danny was very much awake. Currently, he was doing pushups on the floor, and he was doing them quite fast for someone only 16. Though that wasn't what shocked her, being used to incredible feats from Honey, who was shorter than her and did exercise feats. No, what surprised her was that Danny did them effortlessly and...without a shirt. His hair shook with each movement, but he hadn't noticed her yet since his eyes were closed.

But the lack of shirt point out two things. One was that Danny was a fairly muscular teen, and looked to have worked out greatly before today. Two...was the amount of scars on his body. Most were small, but a couple were long and went up his sides. So entrapped by the sight of Danny having all these scars, she hadn't seen his eyes open, but she noticed him stop mid-push.

"Did I wake you?" Danny asked casually, not even out of breath, rising to his feet. Sweat rolled down his skin, emphasizing both his muscles and scars. Haruhi looked up and actually blushed, realizing she was caught watching him work out and looked away. Some shuffling happened, and a hand raised her head gently. Danny, now with a shirt, stood in front of her with a gentle smile on his face.

"S-Sorry…" Meekly, Haruhi bowed a little trying to avert her eyes.

Danny only gave a quiet laugh. "It's alright. I should've remembered you had school early in the morning." He gave a shrug and walked to his bag, pulling out a small towel and wiping his face. Sitting on the couch, which had all the sheets folded and put to one side, Danny crossed one leg and picked up a book.

Now without a blush, but still a little embarrassed, she fixed her uniform and looked at Danny. "What book are you reading?"

He paused and looked to Haruhi. "Oliver Twist. Seems fitting in a way ..." A long sigh came from Danny, sagging once again into the couch as a memory seemed to flash in his eyes.

Haruhi, not liking the sudden change, decided to change the subject. "Would you like breakfast?"

As on que, both stomachs growled, making both teens laugh. "I don't think we're given a choice." Danny patted his stomach, getting another laugh from Haruhi.

"I guess not." Haruhi went to the kitchen and started to get some simple bowls of cereal for breakfast while Danny changed into cleaner clothing. He came out a minute later, looking a little cleaner but would still need a shower later, but was presentable now.

Breakfast was a subdued event, the teens silently eating around the table, not knowing how to start a conversation. Being the more awkward, yet daring one, Danny attempt a conversation. "So what's your school like?"

Haruhi paused, thinking of the right words to describe her school. It took a minute before she could speak nicely about it. "It's...a bit hectic. All the other students are rich kids, and paid to get into the school while I got in on a scholarship."

"Sounds a bit rough." Danny replied, thinking back to his school. "I remember the rich snobs of my school...didn't like the way I did anything and reminded me constantly."

"In a way, I see that as well. However, there is a good group amongst them, and I was...fortunate enough to find them." Haruhi suddenly heard a crash in her head and a bank number growing. She shuddered, but persisted. "A group of 6 guys, who actually run the club I'm apart of."

"What club?" Danny's brow raised when he saw Haruhi blush, and thought it would be good.

"A...Host Club." Danny choked on his food when he heard that, coughing and clearing his throat before looking at her.

"I-I beg your pardon? Did you just say 'Host Club'?"

"It's not like that…" Haruhi argued, taking a sip of water to calm herself down. "After school, the girls pay the guys to just entertain and keep them company…"

Danny frowned before he picked up something. " 'Pay the guys'? What about you?" Haruhi blushed and looked at her uniform. Now that Danny looked closer, he realized that it was a suit with the school's crest on it and, with Haruhi's figure and short hair, anyone could mistake her for a -. Danny instantly began to laugh, trying to keep it down for Ranka, but barely could hide the mirth in his eyes. Haruhi would've complained and argued with him, but she remembered what he just went through and let it slide. It was the first time she saw him laugh with such joy, and she'd be damned if she ruined it. "Are the rich that stupid?"

"You have know idea…" Haruhi grumbled, but a smile went to her lips as well. A small clock chimed in the main room, and she looked up. Sighing, she cleaned up her bowl and grabbed her bag. "I've got to go…" She looked at Danny, a little unsure of herself. "Will...will you be alright? Alone, that is?"

Danny's mood dropped, and he put thought into her question, before he nodded. "I'll be fine," He smiled at her, but it lacked the joy from before, "Thank you. Goodluck in school."

"Thanks." And she left, thought she felt a little nervous about leaving Danny alone. They may have only talked once, but he already made an impression around her. She felt safe around him, and it brought a smile to her face. With that in mind, she walked off to school, prepared to face the day.

Meanwhile back in the apartment

After Haruhi left, Danny sighed before looking down at himself. Mentally he kicked himself for getting caught with his shirt off. He never got caught like that, only at home when Jazz would…

_Jazz_

_Instantly, Danny felt his heart quicken and his hands shake. His breathing became shallow and labored as he felt his mind flashed through images._

_Jazz helping him with a school project, last minute._

_Being reprimanded by Jazz, who hugged him afterwards._

_Jazz smiling at him, making some dinner because Mom and Dad were in the lab._

_Fighting with her against some ghost food Mom and Dad did make._

_Smoke and fire across pavement, and red hair sprawled against it, a blue headband snapped in two and covered in dust._

_An explosion._

"Danny!"

A new voice caught Danny, who now realized that he was on the floor and panting like he ran a marathon. Focusing on the room, he looked up and saw Ranka kneeling beside him, looking worriedly at him. For a minute they just sat there, Danny collecting his breath while Ranka just held his shoulder and stayed silent. Finding his strength, Danny stood up, slowly, before facing Ranka. He went to apologise for it, but was cut off by Ranka raising a hand.

"Don't." He said, making eye contact with him. "It was not your fault, and you have no reason to apologise."

Although he wanted to argue, saying that it was his fault (maybe not meaning just the panic attack), Danny saw the man's eyes and just meekly nodded. Reluctantly, Danny sat on the couch and just composed himself, wanting to just get out of the apartment instead. A big part of his ghost half wanted to go out and fly, and forget everything, but Danny pushed it down.

"Thanks."

"No problem," Ranka smiled before getting his own bowl of cereal and sitting down. Not knowing what to do, Danny took his glass from earlier, and sat down at the table, just drinking with Ranka. "Did you see Haruhi before she left?"

"Yea. We had breakfast together, then she left for school."

"That's great!" Now Ranka's personality was coming out, making Danny chuckle. "And did my precious daughter tell you about her school?"

"Well…" Danny trailed off, remembering the few stories she told about it. "She mentioned that rich people aren't smart, and are quite blind."

"I just like to think that Haruhi is too smart." Both of them laughed, forgetting the situation that just happened. It was good for both of them, especially Danny. "Even so, I still worry for her."

Danny smiled at Ranka, seeing the worried parent he used to have. It made his heart a little sore, but he knew what he was going through. "You worry about everything." The joke made Ranka smile a little brighter. "From what I've seen already, she is strong herself. She can protect herself."

"I know," Ranka sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just worry about her, especially with that club. Who knows what those guys will do to her."

Danny, being a little out of his depth, thought about it for a moment. He thought back to all the moments he worried for others, and thought of the feeling it came with, besides his obsession. For a moment it was silent, before Ranka spoke up.

"Well, I can't sit here and worry or else I'll-" He looked at the clock, and his eyes turned to saucers. "BE LATE FOR WORK!" He turned into a blur, rushing through the apartment and changing clothing while Danny chuckled, watching with a fond look. Looking at the man rush through everything, doing twenty things at once, Danny found himself having a realization. For a moment, he saw Ranka change into himself, and realized that this is what Jazz saw nearly everyday with him. Seeing himself rush homework, dressing and brushing his teeth made Danny a little tense, but calmed down when he heard Ranka close the door.

Alone in the apartment, Danny sat at the table, quietly finishing his drink before heading back to the couch. Picking up his book from earlier, he went back to reading of the orphan who traveled through hell to get a family.

'Seems fitting in a way'. Danny sighed, 'This is going to take some time'.

* * *

Hours later

Another customer left, leaving behind a tired Haruhi who sank a little deeper into her chair. Naturally, she perked up for a customer but today had been longer than usual. The girls were a bit more demanding than they usually were, but she pushed through as any other day, and now sagged a little in her seat.

However, the entire day she constantly thought about Danny, and hoped that he was alright. It distracted her enough that many of the girls caught on, and she would reply that she was just thinking about someone. Of course the girls took it as she was thinking of a crush, and squealed hoping for answers. They never got any, but Haruhi's cheerfulness kept them from growing disappointed, and more than a few nosebleeds occurred.

Now, sitting in peace as the last guest was shown out, she let her thoughts drift back to Danny. He had only been there one night, but she liked him and the talk they had this morning. She might've trusted people quite a lot, but Haruhi could tell good from bad.

"Another good day! Right Haru-chan!" Honey's childish voice made Haruhi lose focus, turning to the bubbly third-year.

"A little more tiring than often," She replied, a tired smile gracing her lips.

"You seemed distracted today." Kyoya, the ever observant one, pointed out from his notebook. 'Reserved, but he knows more about the club than Tamaki did' Haruhi thought, nodding. "What appears to be on your mind?"

"Yea Haruhi," The Twins said, sitting on either side of her. "What's going through your head?" Both began to point both sides of her head, making Haruhi swat them away.

"It's nothing important."

"Everything with you is important!" Tamaki yelled, grabbing and spinning her in his arms. "You're my daughter! Nothing with you involved is unimportant!"

Thoroughly shaken, Haruhi pushed out of his arms and fixed her uniform. After a moment, and a silent prayer for Danny, she sighed. "It's just that...my cousin-"

"COUSIN!" Four of the teens screamed. The two silent ones, Kyoya and Mori, winced at the squeal.

"You never mentioned a cousin, Haruhi."

"Yay! Haruhi has a family member she worries about!"

"WHO IS THIS FAMILY FOR MY DAUGHTER THAT i NEVER HEARD ABOUT!"

"QUIET!" Haruhi screamed, then taking a breath to calm down. "To be honest, I didn't even know he existed till four days ago...and he arrived yesterday."

"Who would this young man be?" Kyoya, with his notebook open and pen in hand, questioned.

"A MAN!" Tamaki screamed, fainting dead in his spot.

"He's my Aunt's, who I had never heard about, Nephew. He's from America, and is...staying with us indefinitely." Haruhi felt bad for talking about Danny but knowing Kyoya, he would research him anyway.

"Indefinitely?" Kyoya clarified, getting a nod from Haruhi.

Now Haruhi was pensieve, not wanting to explain what happened to Danny, but she knew they wouldn't let her leave her alone. "His mother, father, and sister...died...in his hometown."

Silence met her explanation. All the hosts (minus Kyoya and Mori) held varying degrees of shock on their face. Tamaki, who woke up from his faint, had eyes with some pain in them, as did the twins. Honey held usa-chan closer, lips quivering.

"For the time being, he's staying with us." Haruhi gathered her stuff, making for the door before they could question it.

"What is his name?" Kyoya asked.

"Danny," Haruhi replied, pulling the door open. Before he could ask, the door closed, and Haruhi was making her way home.

In the club, all the hosts looked at one another, but it was Honey who spoke first. "Danny is a nice name, isn't it Takashi?'

"...Yea…"

"I wonder what's he like." Honey held Usa closer, but that was the wrong sentence to say. In a second, Tamaki stood up and held his arm straight up.

"As do I, men! I have an idea," Kyoya sighed, already hating this plan. "Tomorrow begins the weekend, and so we shall go meet him! He must be hurting, just coming from tragedy, and so we shall pick up his spirits!"

"Right ho!" Three of the teens replied, saluting their king as they said it.

* * *

Arriving at the apartment, Haruhi slowly withdrew her key and unlocked the door. Hearing the lock click, she pushed the door open into her apartment, feeling the A/C hit her as she entered. Taking a deep breath, she let her tired body sag, putting the bag on the counter and closed the door behind her.

"Long day?"

Haruhi jumped, not expecting a voice and looked up. Before her stood Danny, who had a smile on his face before he saw her sudden fear. "S-Sorry for scaring you." Instantly, the proud teen shrunk in on himself, looking unsure of himself.

Now Haruhi had to remedy this. "No, it's alright. Just, not used to anyone being here when I'm home."

Seeing her ease off, Danny relaxed a little. "I know the feeling. Back at my town…" His smile disappeared as he looked down. Haruhi, not liking the look on his face, walked up and put a hand on his shoulder. Although he was taller than her (not by much), she still held him, not saying a word. Taking a couple deep breaths, Danny looked at Haruhi, eyes meeting. "Thank you."

She smiled. "My pleasure."

Danny, feeling better, stood up a bit straighter. "So, how was school today?"

Instantly, Haruhi sagged and felt her tiredness take over. "I swear they get worse everyday." Danny laughed at that, sitting her down and waiting for the story. "Well...those twins are evil in class…"


	3. Chapter 3

Sunday's were a peaceful day, and today was no different. The sun was out, shining brightly, with birds chirping in the wind, and people seemed to be quite happy today. Walking down the street, Haruhi smiled at the work she got done, having just went to the grocery store, walking home with food for the week. However she was more happy about the teen beside her, who was carrying one of the bags as well.

Once again when she woke up, she found him to be reading his book, silently enjoying a cup of tea he prepared. He smiled and offered her some, which she smiled and took a sip. Needless to say, Danny was not allowed to make tea anymore.

Anyway, they walked down the street, enjoying the success of Sunday shopping, making some small talk, when they turned onto their street. Some raised voices and whistles came from ahead, and when they looked up, both saw some of the most expensive cars they had ever seen.

Danny whistled himself, "I bet the rich kids from my town don't even have cars those nice."

Haruhi nodded, wondering what was going on. Then a tall blond got out, along with five other teens, and instantly groaned and banged her head against the pole.

"One day...Just some peace and quiet." She pleaded, looking to the concrete as she heard Tamaki tell his plan amongst the onlookers. Danny was, genuinely, confused by her display, and picked up her bag that she dropped.

"They won't both us, let's head up to the apartment." With a smile Danny walked ahead, not seeing Haruhi's eyes widen, nor did he hear her warning. Squeezing through the crowd, Danny just got through till he ran into a small child, tripping a little. Catching his step, he turned to whoever he ran into, and, seeing what looked like a little kid on the ground, placed his bags on the ground and went back to help. "Sorry about that, didn't see you there. You alright?"

The golden eyes on the kid looked up at him, and Danny actually looked in shock. Those eyes had a similar look that he did when he looked in the mirror, and it was surprising to see it in someone so young. However, the kid smiled at him and giggled.

"I'm alright. Thank you for checking on me!" The kid said, taking Danny's offered hand and stood up. As soon as he stood up, he jumped into Danny's arms, hugging him close. For some reason, holding the kid (just so he didn't fall) made him feel better, and brought a blush to his face.

"Honey-senpai!" Haruhi yelled, rushing over to them. "Take it easy on Danny. He's not used to you like I am."

Hearing the name, both (now identified) teens looked at each other and paused. Danny was holding a teen older than him, and blushed harder. Honey was being held by someone other than Takashi or Haruhi, or some customer, yet felt comfortable in his arms, making him blush as well.

"Y-You're Honey?" Danny stuttered, eyes realizing at the older teen.

"Y-You're Danny." Honey stared a the blue eyes, finding himself entranced by them. He saw the same look he saw in the mirror himself, but he also saw the sadness and grief deep within them. For some reason, he found himself wanting to get rid of that look and see them look with full happiness, like he did with customers.

"HARUHI!" Tamaki yelled, snapping the duo from their trance as Haruhi huffed. "YOUR FATHER IS HERE TO MAKE SURE YOUR HOUSE IS SUITABLE FOR YOU- Who's the guy holding Honey?"

Danny and Honey now realized that Danny was still holding Honey, and he swiftly placed him on the ground, blushing fiercely, as did Honey. However, both of them felt a little colder not next to each other, but didn't want to offend or make the other feel awkward.

Haruhi saw the blushes and the duo inching closer, and hid a smirk. Maybe the hosts being here might not be a bad thing for Danny.

"Why are you all here?" Haruhi asked, looking at the others for an explanation.

"It was Tamaki's idea." Kyoya explained, fixing his glasses. Seeing the crowd they had gathered. "I suggest that we get inside as to not draw a bigger crowd."

Danny and Honey nodded first, but they took a step in sync and bumped into each other and blushed again. Haruhi stored this for later, as did Kyoya, as they walked up to the apartment, ignoring the stares that they got. Reaching the apartment (with the groceries that Danny almost left) Haruhi pulled out her key.

"Okay here's the deal. I'm only giving you guys a quick peek. Three seconds, then you all go home. Got it." Haruhi explained, giving a deadpanned look to the group.

Honey, who was now holding a box (which Danny had no clue where he got it from) smiled his childlike smile (which made Danny blush again). "Look I brought you a gift Haru-Chan! I know how you love cake! There's both chocolate and strawberry!"

Danny saw Haruhi lose that small battle, laughing to himself at the sight. However, he mainly did it to hide a small groan that was about to escape his lips at the sight of Honey. Numbly, he heard Haruhi grumble about making some tea, and she opened the door.

Upon seeing her 'commoner' apartment, a bunch of the hosts offered their opinions about it. Some were of some mild disgust (Hikaru being himself), neutral expressions (Kyoya never showed emotion), and of childish excitement (self explanatory on who that is). Danny smirked at Haruhi's tired expression, which turned to ticked-off when they walked in and went to the table.

Danny, the entire time, was doing a poor job of keeping his laughs in. Haruhi glared at him. "You're no help."

"I would help, buuuuut…"

"I don't know why I put up with you."

"I think I can have this moment."

"Why is that?"

"Remember when you were staring at me two days ago?" Now Haruhi blushed and grumbled about a 'blackmailing cousin'. His laughs died down as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "It'll be alright, I'm here if you need any help." She nodded and gave him a small, thankful smile.

"Just...don't be overwhelmed." Haruhi warned, watching the group kneel at the table. "They can be a bit…"

"Crazy rich people?" Danny finished, getting a nod. "It won't be the first time I've dealt with them, don't worry."

Both of them smiled and walked back to the group. The twins, being demanding as always, handed Haruhi a bag of African tea and politely asked her (meaning basically told her) to make it. Leaving the group, all of the guys turned to Danny, who shrunk a little bit from the attention.

"So you must be Danny." Kyoya began, watching the teen nod his head.

"That would be me." He held out his hand to shake, "Danny Fenton, at your service."

Kyoya smiled, though it was only a tiny bit genuine. He reached out and grabbed it, surprised at how cold his skin was, but retained his expression. "Kyoya Ootori. Pleasure to meet you."

Danny smiled, and greeted the twins next. They smiled and bowed together, "Hikaru-

"-And Kaoru-"

"-Hitachiin-"

"-Pleasure to meet you." They finished together. Danny, though surprised at the tennis talk by them, chuckled out and bowed back. He then turned to Honey, whom he met by accident.

"I remember Honey from outside," Danny, though not used to the childlike energy Honey had, reacted quickly enough when Honey jumped into his arms. Twice in one day.

"It's so nice to meet Haru-Chan's cousin! Isn't it Takashi?" Honey excitedly spoke, seeming brighter with the smile on his face. From the other side of the table, a tall black haired teen replied.

"Yea."

"He's cute isn't he?" Though it sounded innocent, the blush that came to Danny's cheek when he heard that was anything but. In all honesty, it had his heart beating faster (though it would seem normal to anyone who checked) and his throat go dry. Hearing someone who was older than him (regardless of size) call him cute was new, but Danny found himself liking it.

"T-Thank you." Danny mumbled out, still holding Honey in his lap. The group watching this had many thoughts running through their heads, but Mori and Kyoya were puzzled.

'_Even with customers, I've never seen him this happy and so outgoing. I think Danny and him would get along just fine_.' Kyoya thought.

'_I never saw this when we were alone. And seeing him so happily snuggle with someone he just met is different...but nice._' Takashi thought, and actually had a hint of a smile on his face.

"And that leaves the wonderful me to be introduced to my daughter's cousin!" Tamaki wink at Danny, who looked to the others in confusion.

"Father?"

"I am Tamaki Suoh," He pronounced, holding out his hand to shake, "And it is wonderful to meet our haruhi's cousin in his most depressing of times. I know how you must feel, given your circumstances-"

The other hosts eyes widened as they listened to him talk, not expecting this turn of a conversation at all from him. Honey, still in Danny's lap, felt him tense up and begin to shake slightly. If that wasn't a warning enough, for some reason it began to get colder as the words kept flowing. When he looked up, he saw those blue eyes begin to glaze over the more Tamaki spoke, and realized that it was about to get seriously bad if it continued. He looked to Takashi, who was looking at him as well, and they shared a silent conversation. Much like the twins, the cousins both knew what the other was thinking, and the sudden desperate look in Honey's eyes told the taller cousin everything.

"Tamaki." Takashi's curt voice, as hard as the blade of a shovel, cut off Tamaki instantly. The others looked at him in surprise for speaking, but he remained quiet as he turned to Danny and Honey. Slowly, the other teens did as well, and they saw the fear and shake in Danny's posture. Kyoya instantly recognized it, and mentally cursed Tamaki's brash attitude for what was happening.

It was this moment that Haruhi returned, holding a tray of tea. "Tea's done." She looked at the group, confused at their attention, before she looked to Danny. Confusion turned to worry as she hurriedly put the tea down and ran to his side, kneeling down to his height. "Danny."

"D-Danny?' Honey's voice, now shaking a little, caused Danny to snap back to reality. His eyes slowly refocused, and the room got warmer again. Taking some deep breaths, he unconsciously held Honey closer, wanting the warmth he seemed to radiate all the time. It took a minute of silence for Danny to calm himself, coming back to the moment as he looked at Haruhi.

"I'm fine." His voice was dejected, and a little faint, as he hung his head. Haruhi knew he wasn't, but didn't push him as she looked up. Now the other hosts never truly saw her angered, but seeing the look in her eye even made Mori feel cold.

"What. Happened." A raging maelstrom was in her voice, swirling with anger as she glared at each host. Most of them held her gaze, and she turned to the next, but when she came to Tamaki and saw him flinch, it intensified. "Tamaki Suoh."

The blond's heart raced as he heard her call by his name, no honorifics or pleasantries, and it wasn't from happiness. He would've sulked in his corner, but a small part of his mind, the reasonable part, was telling otherwise. It's your fault.

"Haruhi." She turned to Danny and seeing his worried face, her anger disappeared instantly as she looked at him. "D-Don't get worked up." Even though she wanted to throw Tamaki out, she bit her tongue and nodded, though promised to grill him later. Sighing, Danny gently pushed Honey off his lap and stood up, "I'm sorry, but I need to...get some air." No protest could've stopped him as he walked out of the room, the apartment door closing softly behind him.

The silence was deafening in the room as the storm that was Haruhi returned and she turned to Tamaki. Instantly, his blood ran cold and his heart sank. The other hosts sat silently, wanting to see how angry Haruhi could get if prompted, but one host was distracted. While she chewed up Tamaki, a smaller blond slipped out while everyone was occupied, and went outside the apartment.

_Outside_

Looking out at the street, Danny sighed as he leaned over the railing. His heart was racing a little, and his hand shook a little. Taking slow breaths, Danny calmed himself down as he stood their. The hosts were nice, but that row from Tamaki was too much for him, and it did make him a little irritated.

'_How could he know what it's like? He might've been trying to help, but hearing him open up old wounds hurt a lot-_'

"Danny?"

Hearing a timid voice, Danny turned back to see Honey standing there, looking worriedly at Danny. It was silent a moment, both teens just staring at each other before Honey walked forward. He came to Danny's side, still keeping eye contact, as he spoke again.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine-"

"I may be be shorter," Honey's voice was serious, but not harsh, as he spoke. "But I'm not a child. I know Tama-chan hurt you, without knowing it, and it went deep." It was silent after that, before Danny sighed dejectedly and hung his head, turning to the road. Still by his side, Honey faced the road and leaned over the railing as well. Only the sound of the city went in the air as they stood there. After some time, Honey felt brave enough to reach over and grab one of Danny's hands. "He is in the wrong, I won't deny that. That was too much for him to say, but he does mean well."

"I-I know…" Danny looked at their hands, feeling the warmth meet his cold skin. "It's just...still a sore subject for me. It's not even been a week since…" Danny went quiet, feeling his voice waver again and trying to rein in his emotions. It did no good for him to lose his emotions, especially with his powers being fueled by them. Honey's hand never left his, giving silent comfort and support to Danny as he stood there.

Seeing him slowly get more distress, Honey stepped forward and used his other arm and gave him a one armed hug. Though shorter, only reaching to his chin, he stayed there and tried to convey his support. He felt Danny's breathing on his hair, even how it felt colder than other people. In fact, Danny was generally a colder person than many others were, and, from where he placed his head, his heartbeat seemed slower. Strange, but he didn't move until he felt Danny stop shaking.

"Thank you." Danny whispered into the blond hair, holding Honey close. After a small tug, they separated, but their hands stayed together.

Suddenly, the door slammed open and the twins rushed out. "Commoners supermarket! Commoners supermarket!" They chanted, running down the steps. Kyoya and Takashi were behind them, sighing at the twins antics.

"Those two are insane at times," Kyoya mumbled. Upon looking at Danny and Honey (and not missing their hands) he offered a tired smile. "I'm sorry about Tamaki. He can be a bit...much at times."

Danny smiled, nodding his head. "It's alright. Just...still a little fresh, that's all."

Kyoya nodded, mentally reminding himself to look it up later, "I see Honey was able to cheer you up?" He smirked, seeing how their hands held the other closer after he said that.

"Yes," Danny replied within a second, looking at the shorter blonde with a fond smile. By now his childlike demeanor had returned, but Danny still saw the experience in his eyes. "Yes he did."

"Wonderful. Now," Kyoya began gesturing in the twins direction. "As you might've heard, we are heading to the supermarket with Haruhi, if you'd like to join us."

Danny smiled, then laughed when he heard them chanting it below them. "Sounds lovely." He turned to Honey, using his free arm and held it out gentlemanly like. "Shall we?"

"Okay!" Honey shouted, grabbing the offered arm and walked with Danny, enjoying the touch he had.

In the entire thing, Takashi was silent as he watched his younger cousin walk off with Danny, basically hand in hand. Silent and observant, he smiled to himself when he saw Honey's smile became brighter and more genuine with Danny.

"They make a good pair, don't they?" Kyoya stated, putting his hands in his pockets and following after them.

"Yea."


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, the usual routine began to go through the Fujioka residence. Danny woke up early, worked out, told Haruhi a good morning and wished her luck at school, talked to Ranka, then sat down and read a book. This was the plan for the day, maybe with some meditating, based on advice from Vlad, who was beginning to become more and more active in Danny's life, but his usual luck began to occur.

Whilst sitting on the couch, Danny was thinking about life. How much can change so quickly and so violently, but also on his new life. Naturally, he felt like he has had three different lives. The first one ranged from his birth to right around his fourteenth birthday, his normal life. Many things happened in that, most of which determining the rest of his life, and it has shaped most of his days.

His second life happened at...the portal, when his half-life began and turned him into a halfa. Now his life was different; fighting ghosts and spirits, keeping it a secret from everyone (besides his friends), deal with normal (as much as it can be) highschool life, and try not to (fully) die. Sounded something more fit for a cartoon show rather than real life.

Now...his third life, started after the explosion. It might've been about a week ago, but his nightmares still play it back like not a second has passed between it and now. Now, he lives hundreds of miles away in a foreign country, living with some distant cousin/relative to his mother, and is slowly developing a crush on a guy here who is both older and smaller than him. A distant movie quote suddenly came to Danny's mind.

'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.'

The guy was right.

Anyway, Danny sat on that couch, contemplating his life, when it came. To him, it felt small and Danny almost ignored it, but something was pulling at him. A calling in his gut. Focusing on it, he tried to make sense of it, before his eyes widened in shock and his blood pumped.

Danger-sense. He didn't know what, but Danny knew something went wrong. Instantly, he was standing up, looking quickly around the apartment. Alone, but he didn't want to get caught. His obsession was already yelling at him for delaying, but he still paused before sighing to himself.

'Once more unto the breach, dear friends.'

"I'M GOING GHOST!"

* * *

A distance away, at a private school for the rich, wealthy, and (few) smart, two people got a chill up their spines. A brunette paused, thought on it, before shrugging and going back to class. A short blond felt it and, thanks to years of training and discipline, felt the calling to him, but went back to classes as well, yet not putting it out of his mind.

* * *

Back at the apartment, Danny felt the rings envelope his body once again, feeling the cold that came with it, before he dashed off. Turning invisible, he phased through the roof and quickly flew into the air, scanning the area for what the feeling was. No blue mist came from his mouth, so it wasn't a ghost, but it still felt bad.

Flying through the air, invisible, Danny looked around for anything suspicious. It took some time, with the city being substantially larger than his hometown, but his gut pulled him to a part west of the apartment. After around a minute of flying, he came to what would be a rather poorer side of town. Not necessarily 'slums' but the sketchy part that every city has. Seeing the people living there with smiles, even given their situation, had Danny smiling himself.

Hovering in the air, he waited to see what his gut was doing before he spotted an alley, off the main street. There, a woman, a shorter redhead, was walking down, towards the street, when two guys stepped out. It was obvious to Danny what was about to happen, and he sprang into action. Flying down, still invisible, he hovered above the trio, glaring as one of them grabbed the woman's wrist.

"Where ya going?" He asked, looking her up and down. "Why the hurry?"

"Please...l-let me go."

"No why would we do that?" The other asked, coming up from behind her. While the other held her, he started to stroke her cheek, which made it hard for Danny NOT to growl at him. "You seem like such a nice, pretty lady, and me and my friend here are quite lonely. Why don't we take this somewhere...private."

The last part he whispered in her ear, but the advanced hearing Danny had caught it. Not wanting to see anymore, he dropped down to a dumpster beside one of the thugs and turned visible. None of them saw him, and Danny swiftly came out from behind. He stood behind one of them, the other preoccupied, and reared his fist back. With a quick, yet strong, punch to the man's right side, he let go and dropped to the ground, clutching his side in pain.

The other thug looked up, his smirk turning to rage, as he pushed the woman down. "You son of a bi-!" He didn't finish because Danny jumped forward and delivered a roundhouse to his chest, knocking him down, grabbing his chest in pain. Danny, after calming his heart rate and slowing his breathing, turned to the woman.

"Are you alright, miss?" Kneeling down beside her, he checked her over for any injuries. Beside a rather small bruise on her wrist, she looked nothing more than shaken up. She, justifiably, was hesitant, but did grab his hand and stood back up with his help, before she grabbed him in a hug.

"T-Thank you!" She repeated over and over, shaking a little in the hug. Danny just patted her back, awkwardly, while she kept on her hysterical antics. After a minute, she let go, stepping back and smoothing her dress. Sensing his job done, Danny gave her a two fingered salute before going down a side alley that shot off into darkness. "Wait!" Danny paused, turning to look at her. "W-What's your name?"

Danny paused, having a tough decision on his mind. Does he go by his old name, and risk everyone who knew him (good, bad, alive, dead) coming to find him? It was a moment of indecision, before he replied.

"Spectre." And before she could ask, he walked into the dark corner. Once she couldn't see him, he turned fully invisible and flew off into the sky.

* * *

Back at the apartment, Danny gently floated inside, feeling himself calm down from the situation that just occurred. In all honesty, it felt like the most euphoric feeling to him; going back out there and helping people once again. All his worries from before had now faded, disappearing as he took a breath in.

Turning visible, he let out a content sigh as he transformed back. In the last few days, that was the greatest feeling that Danny had in years. Relaxing his stance, Danny wondered what to do for the rest of the day-

"D-Danny?"

The world froze, as did Danny's heart, as he turned around to see Haruhi, still in her school uniform, staring at Danny in unhidden shock and confusion. They met eyes, frozen at the connection, before he sighed.

"Crap."

"W-What the hell was that!?" Haruhi yelled, making him sigh. He was better at keeping his secret...then again, he had three others to help.

"H-Hey Haruhi...How w-was school?" The nervous smile did nothing as she did an almost perfect replication of Jazz. Hands crossed on her chest, eyes slightly narrowed, and stance that silently screamed, 'Talk or die, mister'. Danny knew he was caught, and he hunched over, feeling tired suddenly.

"This is going to be a long talk."

"I've got the time," Haruhi replied, sitting on a chair. Legs crossed, arms still on her chest, waiting. "Spill."

* * *

One long winded explanation later…

"Wow." Was all Haruhi could reply with. Sitting in her chair, she listened as Danny told his life story, leaving just about no details out. Everything, from the portal opening for the first time, to the recent tragedy of his family (which nearly had Danny breaking down, and Haruhi telling him he didn't have to continue. He did anyway). All the while, she listened, believing only halfheartedly in the beginning.

Till Danny showed her himself. Transforming before her eyes and showing off some of his powers. For a teen who believed in rational explanations...it just about destroyed her somewhat normal world.

Danny, still in ghost form, sat on a nearby chair, waiting to see what her reaction would be. "So that's my life...or, half-life, I guess."

It was silent, a moment or two, before Haruhi cleared her throat. "S-So...have you been doing that a lot since you got here?"

Here, Danny rubbed the back of his neck, his usual nervous act. "Actually, today was the first."

Haruhi watched, and regained a little of her stance. "And why was that?"

And Danny went to explain the days events, starting from the feeling in his gut, to flying out into the city, saving the woman, and leaving. He didn't really see it, but Danny genuinely earned some points in Haruhi's books. She remembered her experience with helping others, mainly that day with the other hosts at the private beach, and it had her feeling more comfortable with Danny. 'Probably runs in the family,' Haruhi mused.

"Wait." Haruhi mentally went over Danny's story, "You had a gut feeling? Earlier today?"

"Yea."

Haruhi was silent, remembering the feeling from earlier as well. It happened most random at school, but she brushed it off. However, she now thought differently on it, and now, being with Danny who explained his end, confused her to no end.

"It's just, earlier today I had a similar feeling during school. Initially i thought of it, but brushed it off and forgot about it."

Danny looked at her, surprised, and nodded his head. "That's...strange." Haruhi nodded, but shook her head.

Standing up, she looked over at Danny. "We can talk later, but I have homework to attend to." Danny noted that she didn't sound bored or annoyed by it, and smiled as he stood as well. They parted, Haruhi starting her work whilst Danny returned to his book from earlier. However, neither of them knew about two little details. One was that unknowingly, they had just became a team, like Danny used to have, and Haruhi already swore to help him. She just didn't know it yet.

The other was that they weren't the only people to have that gut feeling. The third, a blond they both knew, never forgot it like Haruhi did.


	5. Chapter 5

Both of them decided to keep it quiet from Haruhi's dad, who would promptly have an aneurysm at the entire thought. He nearly had a meltdown with the club alone, but this would utterly kill him. Also his dramatic side would pick up on Danny being a vigilante with pure justice and asking for no reward in anyway, making him possibly have a nose bleed like one of the girls Haruhi talks to in school. So it was mute, only between the two of them, and that's been the past week.

During said week, Danny went out and began making the name 'Spectre' known to others. So far, it's only been the basics; muggings, shoplifters, beaters and only one assault charge. In all honesty, it made Danny feel right at home again, and it gave him an opportunity to relieve his stress on recent events.

Everytime he did come out, he made a promise to keep Haruhi in the loop about his activities, and she became his partner in a way. Actually, she helped him by overhearing Kyoya talking about some petty crime ring in the inner parts of the city. They were giving his police a rather hard time trying to catch them. With that in mind, Danny managed to catch them within two days, tying them up and leaving a rather thoughtful note to the Police, who had just arrived as soon as he vanished.

* * *

_Flashback_

_'Man, these guys put up one hell of a fight'._

Danny wiped his brow, tying a knot in the rope around the group of 8 guys (all of which unconscious, and stood back. Scanning the room, he noticed the large piles of stolen goods, amounting from simple handbags to a couple of store shipments lifted from trucks when they were left alone. To Danny, this was a rather organized group given how small and rather idiotic they are.

His eyes landed on a stack of papers and a pen, an idea forming in his head with a matching grin. Grabbing it, he paused, thinking of what to write, wondering what would make this a worthy note. An idea formed, and he jotted down his message, laughing as he signed it. Admiring his work, he walked back to the group, putting it on the rope with some nearby tape, before walking to a corner.

Hearing the sound of sirens outside, Danny quickened his pace into the corner, but stopped when fully enveloped. A part of him wondered if he should stay to check out the reaction, but he decided to play it safe and easy, not risking his reveal yet. Just as the door busted open, he turned invisible and floated through the wall, not seen at all.

The police inside, expecting a fight, came in full force and froze when they looked around. Someone had gotten to them first, but had done a nice job of it. The officer in charge, one of Kyoya's men, gazed around the room and, seeing both the thugs tied and the stolen items in the corner, felt confused on what had happened. Looking at the group he saw the white paper taped on the rope, walked up to it and read it.

'Head they were giving you some trouble, decided to lend a hand. Hope they are in nice condition for what happens next.

Be in touch.

-Spectre'

* * *

_Flashback End._

That had actually gotten him a scolding from Haruhi, telling him how stupid it was to leave a calling card. Really, she did remind him of Jazz that day, and it brought his usual high from catching crooks down near instantly. When she noticed, she asked what was wrong, feeling her temperament simmer and fade.

* * *

_Flashback_

"...And it was a stupid move to leave your new alias! What happens when they ask others in the area if they've seen you, what will happen then!"

Danny sighed into her rant, having been going on for about five minutes, and shook his head. He had been doing this for some years now, and seeing her rant about something simple to him was rather comical. In a way, it reminded him of Jazz, ranting about some fight or school or something else.

Then he focused on Jazz, seeing her smiling face in his mind, and his mood shifted instantly. His shoulders hunched, his head dropped about an inch, and his hands shook a little. Tiny remnants of tears appeared in his eyes, and he had to fight back a sob as to not attract Haruhi. Problem was, she was just too much like Jazz and picked up on the change damn immediately.

"Danny?" Her expression shifted, annoyance and almost motherly to confused and a little hesitant. Looking over Danny, she noticed the change and wondered what was going on, and what was making him suddenly upset. "Danny, what happened?"

The second call, Danny looked up and saw whatever the voice came from...but it wasn't Haruhi. Instead, a girl, with red hair and was taller than him, looked down at him, a worried look on her face and in her blue eyes. Lost in the image, Danny barely muttered out her name, when he blinked and she was gone.

Looking at his surroundings, now back in the present, Danny looked to see a worrying Haruhi standing in front of him, her chocolate eyes matching those blue from a distant memory. Now seeing Haruhi's unhidden care and worry, the tears slowly flowed out of his eyes and the sob in his throat became louder.

"H-Haruhi…" She almost missed the word, it being overshadowed by emotions and sobs. With no words, she led him to the couch, gently lowering him onto it, holding one of his hands the entire time and slowly rubbing it. It took a moment for Danny to calm down, taking some deep breaths and closing his eyes till he could speak. "S-Sorry."

"Are you alright?" Haruhi asked, holding his hand and looking with a plea in her eye.

"I'll be f-fine." Danny looked at her, seeing the emotion in her eyes and the gentleness of her hands. Really, she was a near copy of Jazz in action and personality to Danny. "It's just...with y-you there, scolding me and telling me to take better care of myself...reminded me of my...m-my…"

"Sister." Haruhi finished, knowing the answer. When Danny had explained to her his back story, he explained how much of an influence his older sister was, and the profound effect it had on his life and actions. She was the one who generally took care of him when his mother was working, and one of the closer connections he had.

Danny just meekly nodded, feeling guilty at himself for crying over it. The silence stood there, about a minute, before it left when Haruhi clasped both her hands on his. "Listen, Danny, I didn't mean for you to have a memory flash, and I'm sorry for that."

"It's al-"

"However," Haruhi cut him off, gaining a little bit of her personality back, "I just don't want you to get hurt anymore. I remember those scars from your body, and it still flashes whenever I see you act brave or imagining you helping someone." Now she had to pause, feeling emotions rising in her. It took a moment for her to compose herself before she spoke again. "Growing up, I didn't have any siblings. The few memories of my mother barely even show her in full detail. It was just me and my father, and through its entirety, I always had to be at the best of my ability given our situations. At times...I think I was the one taking care of us at home, while my dad went out and worked hours on end for us."

"I care for those who are in my life," Haruhi had some trouble keeping her emotions down, trying not to work herself up. The entire time she just spoke, not thinking but feeling what to say, and now it was a little messy. "And now, that includes you as well. Both sides of you; the teen who helps me around the apartment, and the hero who helps those outside of the place. So when I ask you what's wrong, I mean to help you solve it to the best of my ability."

Silence. No sound, not even from outside, was heard in the ears of the two occupants. They just stared at one another; Haruhi hoping that Danny wouldn't push her away, and Danny in just utter awe. So overtaken with emotions, Danny lunged and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. Haruhi did the same, closing her eyes as they held the other.

It was this moment, this very moment, that solidified the new relationship as brother and sister with the two teens.

And both of them cried over it.


	6. Chapter 6

In the club, Haruhi watched as the usual activities went on. Tamaki 'swept' the girls off their feet (and often into nosebleeds), Kyoya sat in the corner typing on his computer, the twins were up to their mischievous antics, and Mori overlooked Honey eating cake. To her, it was a rather peaceful day, and she was happy with no surprises in her future.

Then the door knocked, and she got curious. This late into the club, and someone was arriving now? Curiously, she stood to get the door when it opened itself, revealing an older man, grey hair in a ponytail and black suit sharp on his body.

None of the people knew him, but Haruhi did, and got confused.

"Vlad?" She called tentatively, all attention shifting to her in confusion now. He looked for the source, before he smiled.

"Indeed, Haruhi." His smile, a gentleman's look, had a bunch of girls blushing as he entered, making his way over to her. "And how are you faring on this lovely afternoon?"

"Fine, Vlad, but what are you doing here?"

"Excuse me, sir." Kyoya called from behind, walking over to them. "Though I mean not to intrude, might I inquire as to who you are, and to what purpose you have."

Vlad looked over, studying over the teen, before he smiled again. "Well trained, perfectly said. Something I would expect from an Ootori, and something I know your father prides in, though he might not show it." Ignoring the hint of shock on the teen's face, he faced him fully and answered, "But you did ask. My name is Vladimir Masters, and have come to help someone...get some fresh air."

Haruhi looked confused, before she happened to glance back to the door. Her confusion turned to quick realization, and then unhidden joy as she ran passed Vlad (who was chuckling as he watched) and wrapped her arms around the teen there.

"Danny!" She squealed, hearing a chuckle come from him. Unknown to either of them, a blond perked up at hearing that name, putting down his fork full of cake.

"Well a hello to you too." Danny laughed, hugging her back. "I think this welcome is fitting for a man like me."

"Prat." said jokingly, Haruhi released him and stepped back, happy confusion on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," Danny looked to Vlad, who was smiling fondly at him, "Vlad happened to visit me at the apartment. We talked, and he asked if I had met the club you were a part of. I said yes, but never visited. Then…"

"I took it upon myself to deliver young Daniel here." Vlad finished. "He spends so much time cooped up in that apartment, and needed sun, so I talked with the headmaster and he allowed me to bring Danny here for afterschool."

"I hope you don't mind, Haruhi." Danny rubbed the back of his neck, which Haruhi knew as his nervous sign.

She smiled, grabbing his hand. "Not at all! Come on!" Excitedly, she pulled him while he chuckled, pulling him to a nearby empty couch.

"I think I shall be off then," Vlad bowed to the group, causing quiet squeals around the room. Still smiling, he exited the room, closing the door behind him.

With him gone all attention turned to Danny, who sat next to Haruhi smiling around the room. Surprisingly, he was dressed in black dress pants, with a white buttoned shirt and black tie. To be honest, minus a jacket he could pass as a student in the school, he had the childish look and laid-back style for it. Speaking of childish.

"DANNY!" Came a (not-so) manly scream, a blur of yellow hair, and then Honey was in Danny's lap, hugging the raven teen closely. Smiling (and fighting his blush) Danny hugged the tiny blond (whose face was in his chest, covering his own blush) back. Girls around the room squealed, yelling 'Kwai!' and similar phrases, with Kyoya noticing and planning already.

"And it's always a pleasure to see you, Honey."

"Would you like a piece of cake?" Of course, the sweet tooth kid couldn't forget his sugary sweets entirely.

"I would love to, but later, ok?" Danny asked, sagging a little into the seat. He looked a little tired, making Haruhi look at him with a slightly narrowed eye. He nodded, though no one but Kyoya and Honey saw it. She nodded in return, relaxing her own stance.

"Excuse me.." Came a quiet voice, and a sole girl walked up, fighting the blush on her face. "B-But can we know who you are?"

Danny smiled, making her face redder, as he sat up straighter. "Why, how rude of me. Not introducing myself to all you lovely maidens." That comment made the girl faint, and others squeal. His voice was different than the others, seeming a mix between Honey's childish and Mori's experienced. "My name is Danny Fenton, Haruhi's cousin actually. Sorry for the intrusion, if you forgive me."

Through all the girls squeals, Danny mentally thought 'Jazz would be proud of me. Knowing what to say to a crowd'. Honey, still sitting on Danny's lap, laughed and held him closer, making Danny's blush show through. That caused more nosebleeds.

"H-Honey…"

"So how are you doing Danny?" The twins asked, doing a rather terrible job at hiding their smirks at the sight. Knowing Danny was embarrassed, for all the right reasons, gave them ammunition against the poor guy when they needed it.

"Quite alright…" Dany replied, shifting a little to put Honey somewhere more comfortable. The girls were losing their damn minds at this point, which Kyoya noticed and smirked.

"Although this is a pleasant surprise," Kyoya called out, "I must ask that we give them some room. Less Danny explodes from the blood rushing to his head."

Though the blush intensified Danny glared at Kyoya, to which he gave an innocent smile back. Disheartedly, the girls cleared, but still glanced back at them from time to time. For the remainder of the day, Honey sat on Danny's lap, Mori watched over happily (which looked strange for the usually emotionless teen). The twins, whenever they did their act, would always throw a wink over to Danny, making him blush. Haruhi seemed to perk up since he arrived, becoming more cheerful with her guests and getting more requests than usual.

All the while Honey and Danny talked, neither of them pushing the either away, till one point when Honey grew tired. His eyes slumped a little, and slowly he fell into Danny's chest, still holding onto him in his subconscious. Just about every customer's brain shut off at the sight, and about 75% of the room fainted. Those who remained were stuck in this euphoric state, and couldn't keep up with their hosts. Seeing this, Kyoya closed the club early, and ushered all the girls (after reviving the majority of them).

Whilst the duo sat on the couch, the other 6 hosts stood off to the side, discussing a new possibility.

"I think he'd be wonderful." Tamaki gushed, eyes sparkling.

"He does seem to have a rather strong effect on the ladies here," Kyoya added, sounding calculative as usual.

"Plus him and Honey-"

"-Draw more girls-"

"-Than we do." The twins said, sounding rather impressed and a little jealous (mainly Hikaru).

"And Honey seems to be quite..comfortable with him," Haruhi looked over at the pair, who were both now sleeping. Honestly, it was one of the cutest sights she'd ever seen.

"Yes, he is." Mori spoke...sounding, happy. He even had a smile to go with it, which shocked all the hosts.

"I think we all agree." Kyoya paused, seeing the agreement in everyone's eyes. " Then when he wakes, we shall offer him the job." And all the hosts agreed to let the pair sleep. If nothing else, none of the had the heart to break it up, or disrupt the twins who had pulled out a camera at this point.

* * *

_One hour later…_

Groaning, Danny shuffled on the couch, barely awake. Yet he did feel a weight on his chest when he went to move. Groggily, he opened his eyes, blinking away the remains of tiredness. Looking around, he realized that he fell asleep in the host club, and must've for some time since no girls were around.

Shifting a little, he felt something grab his chest and, once upon looking down, renewed his blush strength. A small blond was nestled against his chest and, judging by the grip he had on Danny, wasn't going to move anytime soon. Trapped, all Danny could do was sit there and pray he didn't wake up Honey.

However his luck wasn't known for being good, because Honey started to groan a little, eyes blinking away his sleep. He gripped harder, yawning into Danny's chest, before he happened to look up. Blue eyes met brown, and, for a moment, they seemed to be entranced by the other.

"H-Hey…" Danny's voice quivered slightly, not used to the emotion behind this simple situation.

"H-Hi," Neither was Honey, who was never genuinely shy. Sure, he might put on an act for the girls but most people forgot that he was actually 17, and quite mature when needed. However, this was a moment where he was at a loss for words and resorted to a nervous chuckle.

A cough behind them made them jump, turning to see the other hosts look on at them, amusement on their faces (and evil smirks on the twin's faces). Danny blushed hard, nearly popping a blood vessel, while Honey managed to resume his childish air.

Yet none of them could forget the blush that blond had on his face, no matter how innocent he looked now.


End file.
